Clinging on eggshells: guillemot eggs found to be self-cleaning

The sea-loving guillemot, a species of large auk, likes to lay its eggs on seaside cliffs – exposed places with no room for a nest.

Guillemots gather in large colonies around the coast of the UK, throughout the north Atlantic and north Pacific oceans.

Scientists have questioned how the eggs can cling on to these cliffs without falling off and a team from London’s the Royal Veterinary College now has the answer.

They have discovered cone-like nano-structures on the surface of the guillemot eggs, unique to the species.

This rougher surface allows the eggs to better withstand the elements.

Another mystery was how guillemot eggs protected themselves from exposure to saltwater and guano. It turns out the nano material acts as a self-cleaning mechanism – which is, incredibly, how the nano structure was discovered.

The research team revealed to the media that an accidental water spillage over its egg collection led them to the discovery. When the droplets hit one of the eggshells, it seemed to ‘repel’ the water; the droplets lay on the egg like spheres instead of running down over it.

The best-known example of the guillemot eggshells’ nano-structure in nature is the lotus leaf. Engineers have already copied this leaf structure to create water-resistant materials.

Royal Veterinary College researchers say their finding among guillemot eggshells might inspire some new designs.

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